As an upstanding member of the Anglican Church, Rudolph received his last communion in the church of his childhood one week before his first visit to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in his community. Six months later he was baptized by immersion and became and remained a faithful member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church until his death.

A little more than one year later Rudolph enroled as a student at Canadian Union College, Lacombe, Alberta. During a visit to the Edmonton Central Church eighteen months before graduation from theology, he met Rhoda Murray from Montego Bay, Jamaica, to whom he was married on June 5, 1960, graduation day.

During his years at Canadian Union College, Rudolph endeared himself to his fellow students, one of whom shortened his name to "Rudy" by which he preferred to be known.

Rudy entered the gospel ministry as a literature evangelist with the Manitoba/Saskatchewan

Conference of Seventh-day Adventists before moving to Toronto where he did pioneer work among the people of West Indian background and became the first West Indian pastor of the

Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. He was later recognized and listed in Marquis' Who's Who In Religion In North America.

In 1970 Pastor James responded to a call by the Atlantic Union Conference to serve abroad. His next four years of service were spent in Bermuda, where in addition to pastoring the Southampton Church, he later raised up the Somerset Church. Simultaneously he also served as Evangelism coordinator, Publishing and Public Relations director for the Bermuda Mission of Seventh-day Adventists.

Returning to Canada in 1974, Pastor James served as city evangelist in Winnipeg, Manitoba, before re-entering the pastoral ministry which was his first love. He continued in this capacity in

Manitoba and Saskatchewan until responding to a call from the Alberta Conference in 1981 to pastor the Bridgeland and Forest Heights Churches in Calgary.

In February 1989 he announced his retirement from the administrative pastoral duties of the gospel ministry, but had since become an active member of the local congregation, counsellor and advisor to all who sought after his wealth of experience. He died on January 16, 1992.

Elder Rudy James leaves to mourn his beloved wife Rhoda, son Terry, and stepson Danny Craig. Also left to mourn are five brothers and three sisters; Ellis, Vernon and Carlton of Trinidad, Randy and Wilfred of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Stella Stoute of Trinidad, Reverend Iris Williams of Oakville, Ontario and Evelyn George of New York.